Monday, May 23, 2011

Jimmy Dimora's Trial Could be Delayed, or Not (Updated)

Update II: Jimmy Dimora's trial will not begin until January 4, 2012, U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi has ruled. Now Jimmy's totally going to use the "too much holiday food" excuse to explain why he looks so fat on the witness stand, but no one's going to buy it. (WOIO)

Update: The wait continues. Via WKYC: "Just after 3 p.m. Thursday, U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi said she will issue a written ruling "at a later date" regarding former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora's request for a three-month continuance for his Sept. 12 corruption trial." Dimora handed over the direct line to the fax machine in his tiki hut so he can be the first to know.

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Clevelanders have had September 2011 circled on their calendars ever since Jimmy Dimora was unceremoniously handcuffed at his Independence abode and stuffed into the back of an FBI van like ground sausage into a casing. September, of course, is when Jimmy Dimora is scheduled to go to trial.

It promises to be the circus of all circuses, both because of Dimora's larger-than-life personality and because the Feds have only disclosed a small, small portion of the evidence that brought down the corruption machine in Cuyahoga County. That means more wiretaps, more embarrassing details, and hopefully more hookers.

But that September trial date is up in the air as Dimora, his lawyers, his co-defendant, and the Feds argue on whether to push back the proceedings.

Gabor's lawyer asked last week for a 90-day delay, citing the immense amount of material that needs to be reviewed. Prosecutors responded by calling BS, saying that Gabor and Dimora both knew when they were originally indicted that more charges would follow, that they've had ample time to prepare, and that they assured everyone they'd be ready to go come Fall 2011.

Citing the new charges and new evidence in the case, the Whitakers [Dimora's attorneys] asked Lioi [the judge] today for an additional three months.

"Mr. Dimora and Mr. Gabor have been provided with 64,237 recorded conversations from 10 different wiretaps," the Whitakers wrote in their request. "These recordings comprise a total time of 1,598 hours, 18 minutes and 10 seconds. If the recordings were allowed to play, back to back, they would span a total just shy of 40 work weeks."

A couple of thoughts. First, the Feds should have simply responded, "Hey, chatterbox, if you didn't talk so much you'd have fewer wiretaps to review. Second, there has to be a recording of Dimora having phone sex among those 64,237 conversations, right? Just saying.

Anyway, if the postponement is granted, it will just mean a glorious Christmas present to all of Cleveland in December when the trial finally gets underway. We can't wait.